State of Alaska Department of Revenue Sells 58,285 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Key Points

• State of Alaska Department of Revenue sold 58,285 shares of Microsoft, trimming its stake by 5.8% to 946,100 shares worth about $457.55 million, leaving MSFT as its 3rd-largest holding at ~4.9% of the portfolio.
• Microsoft beat quarterly estimates, reporting $4.27 EPS vs. $4.06 expected and $82.89B revenue (up 18.3% YoY), and announced a $0.91 quarterly dividend (0.9% yield; ex‑dividend May 21).
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $556.15, while institutional investors own roughly 71% of the stock.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue decreased its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 5.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 946,100 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 58,285 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 4.9% of State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest position. State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings in Microsoft were worth $457,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% during the 2nd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $414.41 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $356.28 and a 1-year high of $555.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.08 trillion, a PE ratio of 24.67, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.10. The business's 50 day moving average is $395.28 and its 200-day moving average is $447.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The software giant reported $4.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.21. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.94% and a net margin of 39.34%.The company had revenue of $82.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $81.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.46 EPS. Microsoft's revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen lowered Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Microsoft from $575.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $525.00 target price (up from $450.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Microsoft from $615.00 to $625.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $556.15.

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other news, Director John W. Stanton acquired 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 83,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $5,045,695.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares of the company's stock, valued at $56,486,322.16. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and the earnings call highlighted 40%+ Azure/cloud growth and accelerating AI monetization, giving investors confidence in the company’s long-term AI revenue runway. Microsoft Earnings Call: AI Growth Surges, Margins Squeezed
• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Pentagon signed agreements allowing Microsoft’s AI tech on classified networks — a credibility and contract win that can translate into long-term, high‑value government revenue. Pentagon inks deals with Nvidia, Microsoft and AWS to deploy AI on classified networks
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst actions include several price‑target raises and reaffirmations (Benchmark raised to $525, others keep buy ratings), signaling continued bullish conviction among some buy‑side firms. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Price Target Increased to $525 by Benchmark
• Positive Sentiment: Product catalyst: rollout of Windows 11’s new Xbox Mode supports consumer engagement and adds a near‑term, tangible product story for the stock. Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Jumps on Windows 11 Xbox Mode Rollout
• Neutral Sentiment: The revised Microsoft–OpenAI relationship (ending exclusivity) is being parsed by markets: it reduces some exclusivity upside but clarifies commercial terms that could be neutral-to-positive longer term depending on monetization. Microsoft and OpenAI Just Ended Their Exclusive Deal, and Wall Street Is Trying Hard to Shake Off the Negatives for MSFT Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from TV/hosts (e.g., Jim Cramer) describes MSFT as attractively valued but notes limited new messaging on the call — this shapes retail sentiment but isn’t new fundamental data. Jim Cramer on Microsoft: “Maybe You Can Consider It Cheap, But It’s Software”
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on record capex (roughly $190B guidance) and the near‑term hit to free cash flow — that spending narrative caused the post‑earnings pullback and continues to cap the multiple. Beat meets bill: MSFT stock slips on AI expenditure concerns despite strong Q3
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman’s note flagging extreme cloud cash burn and other outlets highlighting the industry’s rising AI capex raises concern that spending could pressure margins and returns if monetization lags. Microsoft, Amazon On Watch ― Goldman Sounds Alarm On 90% Cloud Cash Burn
• Negative Sentiment: Some brokers trimmed price targets or cut upside on valuation as they bake in capex risk (HSBC cut its target), keeping a portion of the market cautious. HSBC Cuts Microsoft Price Target to $571 From $593

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft develops, licenses and supports a broad range of software products, services and devices for consumers, enterprises and governments worldwide. Its operations span personal computing, productivity software, cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications, developer tools and gaming.

Microsoft's product portfolio includes the Windows operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity and collaboration tools (Office apps, Outlook, Teams).

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